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GitHub vs GitLab: Which to Pick in 2026?
Short answer: Pick GitHub if you want repository hosting with integrated CI/CD; pick GitLab if you want unified DevSecOps with AI agents. GitHub has a free plan, paid from $4/month per user; GitLab has a free plan.
GitHubWhere developers host code, review pull requests and run CI
GitLabDevSecOps platform: Git hosting, CI/CD and security in one appWhich to pick
Pick GitHub if you want…
- Repository hosting with integrated CI/CD
- Integrations with GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot or GitHub Codespaces (on GitHub's list, not GitLab's)
Pick GitLab if you want…
- Unified DevSecOps with AI agents
- Integrated DevSecOps suite
- Integrations with AWS or Google Cloud (on GitLab's list, not GitHub's)
Written by the DevHunt team · updated Nov 15, 2026
The short answer
GitHub and GitLab both host Git repositories with pull/merge requests, issues and built-in CI. The difference is shape: GitHub is the default home for open source with the biggest community and marketplace, and keeps its core plans cheap; GitLab is one DevSecOps application (code, CI/CD, registry, security scanning, planning) that you can also self-host from an open-source edition. Pick GitHub if you want the largest ecosystem, open-source visibility and low per-seat prices. Pick GitLab if you want one integrated platform, strong built-in CI/CD or a free self-hosted option. Facts below are as of November 2026.
GitHub vs GitLab at a glance
| GitHub | GitLab | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | GitHub (Microsoft) | GitLab Inc. |
| Free plan | $0, 2,000 Actions minutes/month, 500MB Packages storage | $0, 400 compute minutes/month, 10 GiB storage, 5 users per top-level group |
| Mid tier | Team: $4 per user/month, 3,000 minutes, 2GB Packages | Premium: $29 per user/month (billed annually), 10,000 minutes, 500 GiB |
| Top tier | Enterprise: $21 per user/month, 50,000 minutes, 50GB Packages | Ultimate: custom pricing, 50,000 minutes, 500 GiB |
| Branch protection on private repos | Team and up | Included |
| SAML SSO | Enterprise | Paid tiers |
| CI | GitHub Actions, large marketplace of actions | GitLab CI/CD (.gitlab-ci.yml), built into the core product |
| Self-hosting | GitHub Enterprise Server (paid Enterprise only) | Community Edition (open source, free) or paid self-managed tiers |
| Security scanning | Code scanning and secret protection as paid add-ons | SAST on Free; full application security testing on Ultimate |
| AI | GitHub Copilot (separate plans) | GitLab Credits included: $12/user/month on Premium, $24 on Ultimate |
Sources: GitHub pricing, GitLab pricing, GitHub Actions billing, GitLab compute minutes.
The differences that matter
Community vs platform. GitHub is where most open-source projects, contributors and recruiters already are, so a public repo there gets seen, forked and starred. GitLab's pitch is different: one application for the whole lifecycle, from issue to merge request to pipeline to deploy to security dashboard, without stitching together integrations.
Price per seat. GitHub's paid plans are much cheaper per user: $4 for Team against $29 for GitLab Premium. GitLab Premium includes more (10,000 CI minutes, 500 GiB storage, planning features and AI credits), but a small team that only needs private repos with branch protection pays far less on GitHub.
CI/CD. GitLab CI is part of the product from day one: one YAML file, stages, environments, review apps and a container registry out of the box. GitHub Actions is event-driven and lives off its marketplace of reusable actions, which makes common tasks (deploy to a cloud, publish a package) a few lines. Free minutes favour GitHub (2,000 vs 400), mid-tier minutes favour GitLab (10,000 vs 3,000). For a self-hosted alternative to either, see GitHub Actions vs Woodpecker CI and GitLab CI vs Woodpecker CI.
Self-hosting. This is GitLab's clearest edge. You can run GitLab Community Edition on your own server for free and keep code off third-party clouds. GitHub's self-hosted option exists only as part of the paid Enterprise plan.
Free plan limits. GitLab Free caps a top-level group at 5 users. GitHub Free has no seat cap, but private repos on Free don't get protected branches or required reviewers, which most teams want before long.
A concrete example
A five-person startup with private repos wants branch protection, required reviews and CI on every push. On GitHub that is the Team plan: 5 × $4 = $20 a month, with 3,000 Actions minutes. On GitLab, Free covers exactly 5 users but only 400 compute minutes, so a busy pipeline pushes them to Premium at 5 × $29 = $145 a month (billed annually), which also brings 10,000 minutes and planning tools. If the same team wants to run everything on its own server, GitLab Community Edition does it for $0 in licences.
Which to pick
- You publish open source or want to be found by contributors: GitHub.
- Small team, private repos, tight budget: GitHub Team.
- You want CI/CD, registry, security scanning and planning in one tool: GitLab Premium or Ultimate.
- You must self-host for free: GitLab Community Edition.
- Heavy CI on paid plans and you don't want to buy extra minutes: GitLab Premium's 10,000 minutes, or self-hosted runners on either.
More: all DevOps tools, CI tools, code tools and open-source alternatives.
Side by side
- What it is
- GitHub:GitHub is a platform for hosting code repositories, collaborating via pull requests, and automating CI/CD pipelines.
- GitLab:GitLab is an integrated DevSecOps platform that combines Git hosting, CI/CD, security, and AI-agent orchestration in one application.
- Best for
- GitHub:Repository hosting with integrated CI/CD
- GitLab:Unified DevSecOps with AI agents
- Who it’s for
- GitHub:Developers, teams, and enterprises needing version control and DevOps tools
- GitLab:Software teams and enterprises that need end-to-end delivery, security, and AI-enabled workflows.
- Pricing
- GitHub:Freemium
- GitLab:Freemium
- Starting price
- GitHub:$4/month per user (Team)
- GitLab:—
- Free plan or trial
- GitHub:Free plan (Free) · Free trial
- GitLab:Free plan (Free) · Free trial
- Plans
- GitHub:Free $0 USD · Team $4 USD per user / month per month · Enterprise $21 USD per user / month per month
- GitLab:Free $0 · Premium $29 per user/month, billed annuall
- Works with
- GitHub:GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot, GitHub Codespaces, Dependabot
- GitLab:AWS, Google Cloud
GitHub features
- Unlimited repositories. Host unlimited public and private repositories with Git.
- Pull request reviews. Collaborate on code changes with reviews, approvals, and automated status checks.
- GitHub Actions. Automate builds, tests, and deployments with CI/CD workflows.
- Dependabot security. Automatically receive security and version updates for dependencies.
- Codespaces. Spin up cloud development environments instantly for any project.
- Copilot AI assistance. Get AI-generated code suggestions and automated fixes directly in the IDE.
GitLab features
- Single source of truth. All projects, issues, pipelines and AI agents share one data plane for consistent context.
- Built-in CI/CD. Native pipelines, reusable catalog components and AI-powered optimization run inside the platform.
- Integrated security & compliance. SAST, DAST, container scanning, secret detection and audit trails are embedded throughout the workflow.
- AI Duo Agent Platform. Teams define guardrails and agents execute tasks like code review, vulnerability remediation and merge request creation.
- Flexible deployment options. Available as cloud SaaS, self-managed, or single-tenant Dedicated with data residency and encryption.
GitHub vs GitLab FAQ
Is GitLab cheaper than GitHub?+
No, per seat GitHub is cheaper. As of November 2026 GitHub Team is $4 per user/month and Enterprise $21, while GitLab Premium is $29 per user/month billed annually and Ultimate is custom-priced. GitLab bundles more into those seats (planning, security scanning, a container registry and CI in one app), so the gap narrows if you would otherwise buy those tools separately.
Can I self-host GitHub or GitLab?+
Both, but differently. GitLab has an open-source Community Edition you can run on your own server for free, plus paid self-managed tiers. GitHub's self-hosted product, GitHub Enterprise Server, is only available as part of a paid Enterprise plan.
Which has more free CI minutes, GitHub Actions or GitLab CI?+
GitHub. The Free plan includes 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes a month for private repositories, against 400 compute minutes on GitLab Free. On paid plans GitHub Team gives 3,000 and Enterprise 50,000; GitLab Premium gives 10,000 and Ultimate 50,000. Public repositories on GitHub use standard runners for free.
How many users can GitLab Free have?+
GitLab Free on GitLab.com is limited to 5 users per top-level group, with 10 GiB of storage. GitHub Free has no such seat cap for organizations, but protected branches and required reviewers on private repositories need the Team plan.
Can I move from GitHub to GitLab, or back?+
Yes. GitLab has a built-in GitHub importer that brings over repositories, issues, pull requests (as merge requests), labels and milestones. Git history moves either way with a plain `git push --mirror`. The real work is CI: GitHub Actions workflows and .gitlab-ci.yml are different formats and have to be rewritten.
What is the difference between GitHub and GitLab?+
GitLab combines Git hosting, CI/CD, and security in one app, whereas GitHub separates these into distinct services like Actions and Copilot.
Should I use GitHub or GitLab?+
Pick GitHub if you want repository hosting with integrated CI/CD or integrations with GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot or GitHub Codespaces (on GitHub's list, not GitLab's). Pick GitLab if you want unified DevSecOps with AI agents, integrated DevSecOps suite or integrations with AWS or Google Cloud (on GitLab's list, not GitHub's).
Is GitHub or GitLab free?+
GitHub has a free plan; paid plans start at $4/month per user (Team). GitLab has a free plan and paid plans.
Do GitHub and GitLab integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: GitHub lists GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot, GitHub Codespaces and Dependabot; GitLab lists AWS and Google Cloud.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.